Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 116263 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 581(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 388(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116263 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 581(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 388(@300wpm)
“I told you before that you don’t need to worry about me.”
Soft disbelief filled her features. “Don’t ask me not to worry about you, Pax. You know that’s not possible.”
I swallowed around the lump in my throat, unable to give her an answer, to open my mouth and give voice to this thing that swelled around us, a current so fucking strong it held the power to drag me to the depths of the darkest sea.
I glanced back out the window to the calm that still remained on the other side. “There’s a store across the street. I’m going to see if I can find anything for you to wear. Don’t open this door for anyone, okay?”
She nodded again. “I won’t.”
Her words were thin—and shit, I hated the pressure that strained between us, but falling into comfort wasn’t going to do either of us any good.
“I’ll be back as quickly as I can.” I tucked my gun into the waist of my jeans, hiding it under my tee before I pulled on a coat and slipped out the door. My stomach was in knots at the thought of leaving her for even a second.
I rattled the handle, making sure it was secure, before I jogged across the dirt lot, figuring it’d be faster to go by foot.
There was no shaking the sticky sense that crawled over me.
The urge to return to her.
To stand by her.
A lure that called for me to return to her side.
It was going to be a fucking problem.
With a break in the traffic on the two-lane road that cut through the desolate town, I ran across it toward the small discount store situated in a rundown strip mall on the other side.
A bell jangled overhead when I tore open the door. The eyes of the woman behind the counter went wide when she saw me. Alarm blanching her skin white at the sight of me.
I ignored her.
I was used to it.
The way people shifted on the disquiet that infiltrated the air because they knew there was something about me that was off.
Wrong.
Inhuman.
Most dropped their gazes. Unable to look me in the eyes. Turned away. Crossed the street when they saw me coming.
Others seemed drawn to it, feeding off the morbid curiosity and the fear that spiked their blood with a heady rush of adrenaline when I got into their space.
No matter their reaction, they all knew I was dangerous, but none of them had a clue what the fuck that really meant.
I scanned the store. It basically stocked a little bit of everything. Housewares and toiletries, cleaning supplies, some packaged food. Clothing and shoes ran along the far side.
I moved quickly down the aisles. There wasn’t much of a selection, but I grabbed whatever I could. Based on the way Aria swam in my shirt, on the way I knew her, the way she was so much the same and so goddamn different than she was in Tearsith, I surmised she wore a small.
She was close to being too skinny.
Like this reality had worn her thin.
Even though every part of her radiated with a bridled strength. Like here, her ferocity had remained untapped, but it might come ripping out at any moment.
I found some leggings and tees, underwear, some copycat Vans, and a package of fuzzy socks. Two sweatshirts. Then I headed to the toiletries section and piled whatever shit I could get into my arms, and on my way to the register, I snagged a green duffel printed with You’ve got a friend in Pennsylvania from an endcap.
Doubtful.
I could feel the stare of the cashier tracking me the whole time, and she eased back from the counter as I strode her way. I dumped the pile onto the counter. The whole time, I kept looking over my shoulder, out the panes of glass to the motel across the street, ready to go flying in that direction if the energy shifted even a fraction.
“Will that be everything?” The woman’s voice shook as she eyed the items.
“Yeah.”
She kept fumbling and trembling as she scanned everything while I stood there itching like a beast, the urge to get back to Aria close to overwhelming.
“Your total is $173.57.” She basically issued it to her feet, the discomfort seeping from her so thick that I felt sorry for her.
But what the fuck was I going to say?
Spit out that I wasn’t going to hurt her?
That it was my job to protect her?
Digging into my back pocket, I pulled out my wallet and counted out $200 worth of twenties. I tossed them on the counter before I grabbed the plastic bags she’d filled and strode for the door.
Surprise echoed from behind me, and finally she called when I got to the door, “Don’t you want your change?”
“Keep it,” I threw out, voice rough, pushing out and heading for the motel. Needing to get to Aria.